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Wine Producer’s Roots from Nový Šaldorf near Znojmo Reach Wallachia The Špalek family winery is not the only wine producer whose family roots can be traced back to Wallachia. This special will focus on these traditional family wineries and wine cellars in the Blue Cellar District of Nový Šaldorf. Mr František Špalek has been the manager of Winery Špalek since 1970. His father, Josef Špalek, who was a gardener, came to Šaldorf in 1945 with five children, hoping for a warmer climate and fertile land from Wallachia. They had another two children in Šaldorf; the youngest, František, was born in 1949. His winery is also represented by his wife Marta and their sons Petr Ilgner and Marek Špalek. They both studied winemaking and have extensive international experience. Winery Špalek has gone through a true, great development since the revolution, and ranks among quality constants of the national wine market. They operate in BIO mode with 12ha of vineyards in the outstanding vineyard estate Kraví hora near Znojmo. Let us introduce wines typical for this area: Sauvignon, Riesling (Ryzlink rýnský), and Gruner Veltliner

(Veltlínské zelené). Winery Špalek has also earned a great reputation for its cuvée, with a registered family mark Gryllus, in red, pink and white varieties. In 1995 they introduced a fortified wine, Šaler (liqueur wine), a very unusual product in our country. Their latest novelty is of the der Ilgner brand, an Austrian of South Moravia. This product range consists of nonwinery products often inspired by Austrian traditions. The current hottest hits include an apricot nectar--a thick, sweet non-alcoholic drink intensely orange in colour with a compelling apricot smell. The nectar made from apricots grown in Špalek family orchards contains a minimum of 45% apricots, no artificial colors, preservatives or stabilizers. All products by Family Winery Špalek are sold in the shop VIIINO in Ostrava.

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